Air Canada will resume flights from the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in February, the country's biggest airline said on Monday, initially offering service to Montreal.
Air Canada said it will offer passengers up to 15 daily non-stop flights from the airport, which is located on an island minutes from Toronto's downtown core, to Trudeau Airport in Montreal.
Flights will be operated by Sky Regional Airlines, which was chosen following a competitive bid process, Air Canada said in a statement.
Air Canada flew out of the Toronto city airport until 2006 using its regional carrier Jazz Air.
Porter Airlines, a small, privately owned regional carrier, currently has a monopoly on flights out of the airport, which has become popular with business passengers because of its proximity to the business district. Toronto's main Pearson Airport can be a 45-minute drive from the city centre.
Air Canada said it is in talks with the airport terminal owner, City Centre Terminal Corporation, about an agreement to lease terminal facilities.
Flights will be operated with Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Air Canada intends to lease five of the planes.
Air Canada lost a court bid this summer against the Toronto Port Authority, the federal agency that owns and operates the island airport, and Porter Airlines to get additional flying slots at Billy Bishop.
The TPA announced in June that Porter had secured 44 of 90 new slots, Air Canada 30 and US-based Continental Airlines 16. Air Canada had argued in court that the allocation process was flawed.
(Reuters)
.
Air Canada said it will offer passengers up to 15 daily non-stop flights from the airport, which is located on an island minutes from Toronto's downtown core, to Trudeau Airport in Montreal.
Flights will be operated by Sky Regional Airlines, which was chosen following a competitive bid process, Air Canada said in a statement.
Air Canada flew out of the Toronto city airport until 2006 using its regional carrier Jazz Air.
Porter Airlines, a small, privately owned regional carrier, currently has a monopoly on flights out of the airport, which has become popular with business passengers because of its proximity to the business district. Toronto's main Pearson Airport can be a 45-minute drive from the city centre.
Air Canada said it is in talks with the airport terminal owner, City Centre Terminal Corporation, about an agreement to lease terminal facilities.
Flights will be operated with Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Air Canada intends to lease five of the planes.
Air Canada lost a court bid this summer against the Toronto Port Authority, the federal agency that owns and operates the island airport, and Porter Airlines to get additional flying slots at Billy Bishop.
The TPA announced in June that Porter had secured 44 of 90 new slots, Air Canada 30 and US-based Continental Airlines 16. Air Canada had argued in court that the allocation process was flawed.
(Reuters)
.
